Valve-operating mechanism



v L. MULLER VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM Filed June 27, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Vzmoa L. MULLER ATTORNEYS.

V. L. MULLER VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM Filed June 2'7, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 VICTOR 1..NULLEB IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

UNITED STATES VICTOR L. MIULLER, OF NORTH BERG-EN, NEXV JERSEY.

VALVE-OPERATING MECHANISM.

Application filed June 27, 1921.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Vrcron L. MULLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of North Bergen, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Valve-Operating Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to valveoperating mechanisms, and more particularly to a mechanism adapted for distance operation whereby a valve, such for instance as are used in overhead pipe lines, can be opened and closed from a. point distant from the. valve.

The objects of the invention are to provide a mechanism of the character described embodying novel features of construct-ion which is strong, durable and reliable in operation; to provide an improved valve-operating mechanism of this character by means of which a valve may be both opened step by step and closed by mere straight pulls upon a cord, chain or the like: to provide such a mechanism by means of which the waive can be fully opened by one continuous pull on the cord or chain; to provide for this purpose a rotatable substantially elliptical cam engag ging a sliding valve stem, and improved means for rotating said cani by polls on said cord or chain; to provide in combination with such a cam, an operating lever having radial ribs or teeth on one side thereof to engage corresponding teeth on the side of the cam whereby swinging of the operating lever in one direction causes engagement of the teeth thereon with the teeth on the cam to rotate said cam, said shoulders on the lever riding over the shoulders on the cam when swinging in the opposite direction; to provide mechanism of the character described including a novel, strong and durable support which may be easily mounted on a valve casing, and to obtain other results and advantages as may be brought outby the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals of reference indi cate the same parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a valve operating mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure is top plan view thereof;

Figure is a vertical sectional view taken Serial No. 480,584.

2 and 3, respectively, which are separated by a transverse partition or diaphragm 4 in which is formed a valve port 5 provided with a valve seat 6. A valve 7 cooperates with said valve seat 6, and is mounted upon a valve stem 8 which is slidably mounted transversely of the valve and passes outwardly through a neck 9 upon which is threaded a bonnet 10 which serves as a stuffing box. The valve 7 is normally seated by a coil spring 11 which is interposed between the underside of the valve and a removable cap 12 screwed on the side of the valve opposite the neck 9, said cap being provided with a guide socket 13 to guide the lower end of the valve stem A substantially U-shaped bracket 1 1 is mounted upon the neck 9 of the valve casing, the base of said bracket being formed with an opening 15 which fits around the neck 9, and a nut 16 being provided for clamping the bracket against the valve casing. The outer ends of the arms of the bracket are formed with bearings 17 in which is journaled a transversely extending shaft 18 which is disposed slightly beyond the outer end of the valve stem 8. A cam 19 is fixedly mounted on the shaft 18 adjacent the end of the valve stem, the said cam being substantially elliptical in shape and being mounted axially upon the shaft, so that when the minor axis of the cam is parallel with the valve stem the two long sides of the cam will slightly clear the valve stem and allow the valve to close. One end of the cam 19 is formed with an integral or rigidly connected disc-like portion 20 which is formed upon one side thereof with a plurality of radially disposed shoulders or teeth 21, the said teeth being preferably four in number and arranged at angles of substantially 90 apart.

For the purpose of rotating the cam 1.9

an operating disk 22 is rotatably mounted boss 23 formed with a plurality of radially disposed shoulders or teeth 24 similar to the teeth of the cam and oppositely arranged thereto so that the teeth of the cam and the operating disk will engage each other to rotate the cam when. the operating disk is rotated in one direction. The operating disk is provided with a substantially radially projecting arm 25 to which is connected a cord or chain 26 which is normally suspended from said arm so as to be within the reach of an operator. When the operating disk22 is rotated in. the direction of the arrow on Figure 1, it will be observed that the teeth 24- thereof will operatively engage the teeth 21 on the cam so as to rotate the same, the teeth 24; riding backwardly over the teeth 21 of the cam when the operating disk is rotated in the opposite direction. The operating disk is formed at its edge with a. pair of stop notches 27, 28 which are adapted to cooperate with a stop, rod 29 fixedly connected to the arms of the bracket and extending between the same the said stops being disposed slightly more than 90 apart so that when the operating disk rotates backwardly a slight lost motion is allowed betweenthe teeth of the disk and thecam, as shown in Figure 2, so as to insure 'theteeth 24 freely passing over the teeth 21. The engagement of the stop notch 28 with the stop rod 29 limits the backward movement of the operating disk 22, while engagement of the stop notch 27 with the rod 29 limits the forward movement of the operating disk. A helical spring 30 is interposed between the operating disk 22 and the adjacent arm of the bracket, one end of said spring being fixed to the said bracket and the otherl end thereof engaging under the operating arm 25, whereby said spring serves to return the operating disk to its normal position as shown in Figurel, after actuation of the cam 19. The said spring also constantly influences the operating disk toward the teeth 21 on the cam so as to insure engagement of the teeth of the disk and the cam on the forward movement of the disk. lVith this construction it willi be observed that when the operating disk 22 1S rotated from the position shown in Figure 1, until the stopnotch 27 engages the rod 29, the cam 19 will be rotated from the position shown in Figure 8 to that shown in Figure 4: so as to slide the valve stem' 8 inwardly of the casing and open the valve '4'.

To prevent backward rotationof the cam 19 a ratchet wheel 31 is rigidly connected to the cam and is adapted to be engaged by a pawl 32 pivotallv mounted at on (me arm the valve; and the pawl 32 engaging the ratchet 31 prevents backward rotation of the cam, and thus "holds the valve in open position. After the valve has been completely opened, as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings; another pull on the cord 26 will rotate the cam so that the valve will be closed under the influence of its spring 11.

In operation a valve actuating mechanism of this character is subjected to considerable strain especially on the shaft and the supporting bracket, and with my construction the shaft '18 is supported at bothe11ds'out side the cam and operating lever and the mechanism. is balanced in the bracket so that possibility of bending of the shaft and bracket incident to strain thereonduefto' pulls on the cord 26 is eliminated.

lVhile I have shown and described one possible embodiment of my invention, itwill be understood that this mainly for the purpose 'of' illustrating the principles thereof,and that many modificationsand changes can be made in the detail construction of the operating mechanism without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Therefore, I do not desire to be understood 1 as limiting myself except as required by the following claims when construed in the light of the prior art.

Having thus described the inventiom what I claim is: p

1. The combination with a valve casing having a neck thereon anda spring closed valve therein having a sliding stem project ing from said neck,-of a U-shaped bracket having an opening in its base to fit over said neck for securing said bracket to said valve casing, a shaft rotatably journaled at its ends in the arms of said bracket and eX- tending transversely of the end of said valve stem, a cam mounted on said shaft to slide said valve stem to open said valve when said shaft is rotated a part of a. complete're'volution inone direction and permit said valve to'close upon completion of the revolution of said shaftin said direction, and means for rotating said shaft.

2. The combination with a valve casing having a neck thereon and a springclosed valve thereinhaving a sliding stem project ing from said neck of u shaped bracket having an opening in its base to fit over said neck for securing said bracket to said valve casing a shaft rotatably ournaled-at itsends" valve stem to open said valve when said shaft is rotated a part of a complete revolution in one direction and permit said valve to close upon completion of the revolution of said shaft in said direction, pawl and ratchet means for preventing rotation of said shaft in the opposite direction to hold said valve in open position, and means for rotating said shaft.

8. The combination with a valve casing having a neck thereon and a valve therein having a sliding stem projecting from said neck, of a U-shaped bracket having an opening in its base to fit over said neck for securing said bracket to said valve casing, a cam rotatably journaled in the arms of said bracket to actuate said valve stem and having ratchet teeth, an operating member ournaled on said bracket coaxially with said cam and rotatable relatively thereto in opposite directions, said operating member having teeth to cooperate with the teeth on said cam to rotate said cam upon rotation of said operating member in one direction, said teeth of the operating member sliding idly over the teeth of said cam upon rotation of said operating member in the opposite direction, and means for preventing rotation of said cam in the last-mentioned direction.

4. The combination with a valve casing having a neck thereon and a valve therein having a sliding stem projecting from said neck, of a Ushaped bracket having an opening in its base to fit over said neck for securing said bracket to said valve casing, a cam rotatably journaled in the arms of said bracket to actuate said valve stem and having ratchet teeth, an operating member journaled on said bracket coaxially with said cam and rota-table relatively thereto in opposite directions, said operating member having teeth to cooperate with the teeth on said cam to rotate said cam upon rotation of said operating member in one direction, said teeth on the operating member sliding idly over the teeth of said cam upon rotation of said operating member in the opposite direction, spring means for rotating said operating member in said last-mentioned direction, and means for preventing rotation of said cam in said last-mentioned direction- 5. The combination with a. valve. casing having aneck thereon and? a spring closed valve therein having a sliding stem projecting from said neck, of a U-shaped bracket having an opening in its base to fit over said neck to mount the bracketon said valve casing. a substantially elliptical cam rotatably journaled. in the arms of said bracket to actuate said stem to open said. valve, said cam permitting said valve to be spring (losed when the minor axis of the cam is substantially in alinement with said stem and said cam opening said, valve when the cam is rotated to bring its major axis into alinement with said stem, and means: for rotating said cam.

6. The combination with a valve casing having a neck thereon and a spring closed valve therein having a sliding stem projecting from said neck, of a. U-shaped bracket having an opening in its base to fit over said neck to mountthe bracket on said valve casing, a shaft rotatably j ournaled at opposite ends in the arms of said bracket transversely of said valve stem, a substantially elliptical cam fixedly mounted on said shaft to actuate the valve stem to open the valve, said cam permitting said valve to be spring closed when the minor axis of the cam is substantially in alinement with said stem and said cam opening said valve as the cam is rotated to bring the major axis of the cam into alinement with said stem, said cam having teeth, an operating member rotatable on said shaft coaxially with and relatively to said cam in opposite directions, said operating member having teeth to engage the teeth on said cam to rotate the cam in one direction, said teeth of said operating member being adapted to slip over the teeth of the cam upon movement of said member in the opposite direction, spring means for rotating said member in said last-mentioned direction, a ratchet on said shaft, and a pawl on said bracket to engage said ratchet to prevent rotation of said cam in said lastmentioned direction.

7. A valve operating mechanism for sliding stem valves, including a U-shaped bracket having an opening in its base adapted to fit over the neck of a valve casing, a shaft rotatably journaled at opposite ends in the arms of said bracket, a substantially elliptical cam fixedly mounted on said shaft between the arms of said bracket to actuate the valve stem to open the valve, said cam permitting said valve to be spring closed when the minor axis of the cam is substantially in alinement with said stem and said cam opening said valve as the cam is rotated to bring the major axis of the cam into alinement with said stem, said cam having teeth, an operating member rotatable on said shaft coaxially with and relatively to said cam in opposite directions, said operating member having teeth to engage the: teeth on aid. cam to rotate the cam in one direction, said teeth of said operating member being adapted to slip over the teeth of the cam upon movement of said member in the opposite direction, spring means for rotating said member in said last-mentioned direction, a ratchet on said shaft, and a pawl on said bracketto engage said ratchet to prevent rotation of said cam in said last-mentioned direct-ion.

VICTOR L. MULLER 

